


Introspection

by ChurroBird



Series: The Blessed Demigods [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, anyway this is a new series. possibly, could u imagine getting therapy from a divine being, honestly this was very self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChurroBird/pseuds/ChurroBird
Summary: A teal ribbon, resting where the other had been sitting prior.A smile came to their face, picking up the ribbon and running it between their fingers. They got up, and wiped at their face.
Series: The Blessed Demigods [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913413
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Introspection

God. All of it was a mess. All of it.

They rushed into the corridor, wiping at their face as tears began to form.

This was a mistake. Coming here to this weird magic gallery to look at weird magic art that made them see…

Things.

Their breath shook as they sat on a bench, not another soul in this wing of the Infinite Gallery.

They had made a fool of themselves in front of their entire group of friends, too distressed by the visions they saw from those paintings.

They were so confused. They didn’t know what it meant. They didn’t know why they had to see it again.

“...Are you alright?”

A voice echoed to their side, and the visitor's head snapped up as they fought to give an explanation to the new presence.

Their voice died in their throat, staring in confusion at the person in front of them.

They wore a traditional hanfu, with hanzi characters embroidered into the edges at the bottom. Draconic horns came out of the top of their long, black hair, with ribbons hanging from them.

The visitor squinted slightly, then their eyes widened as they remembered a description that matched this person. The master of the gallery- the Demigod of Art.

“I. Uhm-”

“No need to answer,” the stranger smiled calmly at them, “I suppose I can tell from your face.”

“Uh. I’m- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- I can.. leave if you want-”

“No, no. It’s alright. May I ask what has gotten you so upset?”

The visitor rubbed their thumbs on the back of their clasped together hands, strangely feeling… comfortable enough to say this.

“I just. I.. saw something. In those paintings. It… it makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Am… am I a good person?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

The stranger sat down on the bench, beside them. The mortal looked up slightly, trying to ignore the burning of tears threatening to spill from their eyes.

“How do you not know whether or not I’m a good person?! Aren’t you, like, a demigod?! Couldn’t you be able to… I don’t know, judge me?” They sat up fully, ignoring the way their voice shook.

“Hmm… let me put it this way,” the divine being spoke in turn, “A child draws on the walls of their parent’s expensive house. Would you call them a bad person?”

“...I… no? They’re a kid. They could learn from it- and it’s not like… unforgivable.”

“Would you call the action bad?”

“..Maybe? I don’t understand what you mea-”

“Now let’s look at another scene,” they interrupted the mortal, “A man is an artist. He sits on the boardwalk and draws people passing by for no charge, just to brighten their day. Would you call him a good person?”

“Uh. Yeah?”

“Alright then, but now hear this: this man is an artist. In every sense of the word. But he is also a serial killer. He uses his creative talents to kill people in sickening fashions and then paint the walls with their blood. What do you think of him now?”

“I- What- he’s bad! Obviously!”

“But do you not see how quickly your view changed of him when I revealed a previously unknown aspect of him?”

The mortal chewed on their lip, “I.. I do, but what are you getting at by all of this?”

“I am a demigod, my friend, but I am not omniscient. I do not know everything about you- no one does. No one but yourself. How could anyone in good faith tell you whether or not you are a good person when they don’t know the full story about you?”

The mortal in front of the demigod stared at him, their mouth slightly agape and eyes swimming with unidentifiable emotions.

Their jaw clicked shut audibly, and they turned their head away to stare at their feet. “...Oh.”

The master of the art gallery scooted over on the bench, using slow and gentle movements to wrap their arms around the mortal. In turn, the other nuzzled their face into her shoulder, muffled and choked back sobs coming from then.

“A child who gets perfect grades at school still draws on the walls, to the disappointment of the parents. They are not a bad person, for just one act. The serial killer goes home to his loving wife and children every day, after tearing another family apart and painting with their blood. He is seen as good, but his loved ones don’t know the truth.”

A sniffle. The sobs quieted further.

“The only person who can decide who you are is you, my dear. And even then, above anyone else, I could not judge you. I am art given hands, I am creativity given voice, I am the beating hearts of every expressive soul who pours themselves into their work. I am the child who doodles a picture of their dog in Kindergarten, I am the serial killer with red coppery liquid on his brush. I am art, no matter who does it with what intent.”

The visitor pulled back slightly, and she loosened her grip, but did not let go.

“So… you don’t care about those people who use art in horrible ways..?”

“Incorrect. I care, for they are artists, no matter their moral standpoint or prior deeds.”

“Oh.” They mumbled, as the divine being took the edge of their sleeve to wipe at the tears on the mortal’s face.

“S...So… what do I do now? If no one can tell me if I’m a good person or not… will I ever know?”

“You need to decide that for yourself,” he hummed. “No one but you knows you like you, dear artist.”

A wet giggle. “Heh… that’s a tongue twister.”

He smiled, patting their shoulder. “I wish you luck on your future endeavors… And I hope this conversation has brought some new ideas into the light.”

“...Yeah. Yeah I think it has. Thank you…?”

“Xinyi.”

“Ah. Then, thank you, Xinyi!”

The visitor took a deep breath, then looked up as they heard their friend’s voices calling them down the halls of the gallery. They looked to their side to say goodbye, but blinked in confusion as the demigod had disappeared entirely.

They looked down at the bench, wondering if it all was just a hallucination, before spotting something.

A teal ribbon, resting where the other had been sitting prior.

A smile came to the mortal’s face, picking up the ribbon and running it between their fingers. They got up, and wiped at their face.

They started walking down the hall towards the voices, a confidence in their step that wasn’t there before.


End file.
